Every realtor eventually does this math. Zillow (and the other portals) will happily sell you leads today. Facebook will happily show your ads to your whole market. Both cost real money. Here's the honest comparison, including the parts each side's salespeople skip.
The fundamental difference: shared vs exclusive
A portal lead is a person who asked about a house, sold to you AND several other agents at the same moment. You're in a footrace from the second it hits your phone. Win rates depend heavily on being first to call.
A Facebook lead responded to YOUR ad, with YOUR name on it, and nobody else gets it. The person may be earlier in their journey, but the relationship starts as yours alone.
Cost comparison
- Portal leads: commonly $50 to $500+ per lead depending on market and program, with premium programs taking a referral cut at closing instead.
- Facebook leads: typically $5 to $30 per lead when the campaign is built right. Even after accounting for lower intent, cost per eventual client usually favors Facebook by a wide margin.
Intent: the portals' real advantage
Fair is fair: a Zillow lead was actively looking at a specific house. That's high intent, and it's why the price is what it is. A Facebook lead requested a home valuation or downloaded a guide, which often means they're 3 to 12 months out. If you need closings THIS month and have no pipeline, portal leads are the faster (expensive) painkiller. If you're building a business instead of renting one, exclusive pipeline compounds.
The part nobody tells you about either one
Both lead sources die without follow-up. The agents winning with portals have ruthless speed-to-lead. The agents winning with Facebook have automated nurture that keeps them in front of that 6-months-out seller until the day they're ready. Neither source works as a "buy leads, get closings" vending machine.
The hybrid answer most top agents land on
This isn't actually either/or. A common pattern: keep a modest portal presence for now-business, build Facebook for pipeline and brand in your market, and let the Facebook side gradually take over as the pipeline matures. The goal is owning your lead flow instead of renting it forever at whatever price the portal sets next year.
FAQ
Are Facebook leads lower quality than Zillow leads?
They're earlier, not worse. A valuation lead is often a future seller who hasn't picked an agent yet. That's the best time to become their agent, if you have the patience and the system to stay present.
How fast should I respond to a new lead?
Within five minutes, from either source. Booking rates fall off a cliff after that. If you can't respond that fast, automation should do it for you.
Can I just run both?
Yes, and many should. Just track cost per closed deal per source honestly. Most agents who track it end up shifting budget toward the exclusive side over time.
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